U.S. patent application number 13/327302 was filed with the patent office on 2013-02-28 for deposition systems having reaction chambers configured for in-situ metrology and related methods.
This patent application is currently assigned to SOITEC. The applicant listed for this patent is Ronald Bertram, Claudio Canizares, Ed Lindow. Invention is credited to Ronald Bertram, Claudio Canizares, Ed Lindow.
Application Number | 20130052333 13/327302 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 47744088 |
Filed Date | 2013-02-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130052333 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lindow; Ed ; et al. |
February 28, 2013 |
DEPOSITION SYSTEMS HAVING REACTION CHAMBERS CONFIGURED FOR IN-SITU
METROLOGY AND RELATED METHODS
Abstract
Deposition systems include a reaction chamber, at least one
thermal radiation emitter for heating matter within the reaction
chamber, and at least one metrology device for detecting and/or
measuring a characteristic of a workpiece substrate in situ within
the reaction chamber. One or more chamber walls may be transparent
to the thermal radiation and to radiation signals to be received by
the metrology device, so as to allow the radiation to pass into and
out from the reaction chamber, respectively. At least one volume of
opaque material is located to shield a sensor of the metrology
device from at least some of the thermal radiation. Methods of
forming a deposition system include providing such a volume of
opaque material at a location shielding the sensor from the thermal
radiation. Methods of using a deposition system include shielding
the sensor from at least some of the thermal radiation.
Inventors: |
Lindow; Ed; (Scottsdale,
AZ) ; Bertram; Ronald; (Mesa, AZ) ; Canizares;
Claudio; (Chandler, AZ) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Lindow; Ed
Bertram; Ronald
Canizares; Claudio |
Scottsdale
Mesa
Chandler |
AZ
AZ
AZ |
US
US
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
SOITEC
Crolles Cedex
FR
|
Family ID: |
47744088 |
Appl. No.: |
13/327302 |
Filed: |
December 15, 2011 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61526137 |
Aug 22, 2011 |
|
|
|
61526143 |
Aug 22, 2011 |
|
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|
61526148 |
Aug 22, 2011 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
427/8 ; 118/712;
29/464 |
Current CPC
Class: |
C23C 16/46 20130101;
C30B 25/16 20130101; C30B 29/40 20130101; H01L 21/67115 20130101;
C23C 16/301 20130101; Y10T 29/49895 20150115; C23C 16/52 20130101;
H01L 21/67248 20130101; C30B 25/08 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
427/8 ; 118/712;
29/464 |
International
Class: |
C23C 16/52 20060101
C23C016/52; B23Q 3/00 20060101 B23Q003/00 |
Claims
1. A deposition system, comprising: a reaction chamber including
one or more chamber walls; at least one thermal radiation emitter
configured to emit thermal radiation within a range of wavelengths
of electromagnetic radiation in at least one of the infrared region
and the visible region of the electromagnetic radiation spectrum
through at least one chamber wall of the one or more chamber walls
and into an interior of the reaction chamber, the at least one
chamber wall comprising a transparent material at least
substantially transparent to electromagnetic radiation over the
range of wavelengths; at least one metrology device including a
sensor located outside the reaction chamber and oriented and
configured to receive an electromagnetic radiation signal at one or
more wavelengths within the range of wavelengths passing from an
interior of the reaction chamber to an exterior of the reaction
chamber; and at least one volume of opaque material, the opaque
material being opaque to wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation
within the range of wavelengths, the at least one volume of the
opaque material located to prevent at least some thermal radiation
to be emitted by the at least one thermal radiation emitter from
being detected by the sensor of the at least one metrology
device.
2. The deposition system of claim 1, wherein the at least one
volume of opaque material comprises at least a portion of a chamber
wall of the one or more chamber walls.
3. The deposition system of claim 1, further comprising a body
positioned within the interior of the reaction chamber, the body
comprising the at least one volume of opaque material.
4. The deposition system of claim 3, wherein the body positioned
within the interior of the reaction chamber comprises a generally
planar plate-shaped structure.
5. The deposition system of claim 1, wherein the one or more
chamber walls of the reaction chamber include a top wall, a bottom
wall, and at least one side wall extending between the top wall and
the bottom wall.
6. The deposition system of claim 5, wherein the at least one
thermal radiation emitter is disposed adjacent the bottom wall.
7. The deposition system of claim 6, wherein the bottom wall
comprises the transparent material.
8. The deposition system of claim 7, wherein the bottom wall
comprises transparent quartz.
9. The deposition system of claim 8, wherein at least a portion of
the top wall comprises the at least one volume of opaque material,
and wherein the opaque material comprises opaque quartz.
10. The deposition system of claim 8, wherein at least a portion of
the at least one side wall comprises the at least one volume of
opaque material, and wherein the opaque material comprises opaque
quartz.
11. The deposition system of claim 5, wherein the sensor of the at
least one metrology device is disposed adjacent the top wall.
12. The deposition system of claim 11, wherein at least a portion
of the top wall comprises the at least one volume of opaque
material, and wherein the opaque material comprises opaque
quartz.
13. The deposition system of claim 11, wherein at least a portion
of the at least one side wall comprises the at least one volume of
opaque material, and wherein the opaque material comprises opaque
quartz.
14. The deposition system of claim 5, wherein the at least one
thermal radiation emitter is disposed outside the reaction chamber
adjacent the bottom wall, at least a portion of the bottom wall
comprises the transparent material, and the sensor of the at least
one metrology device is disposed outside the reaction chamber
adjacent the top wall.
15. The deposition system of claim 14, wherein at least one of the
top wall and the at least one side wall comprises the at least one
volume of opaque material.
16. The deposition system of claim 14, wherein the at least one
volume of opaque material is disposed within the interior of the
reaction chamber between the top wall and the bottom wall.
17. The deposition system of claim 1, wherein the at least one
thermal radiation emitter comprises a plurality of lamps.
18. The deposition system of claim 1, wherein the transparent
material comprises transparent quartz.
19. The deposition system of claim 1, wherein the opaque material
comprises opaque quartz.
20. A method of forming a deposition system, comprising:
positioning at least one thermal radiation emitter outside and
proximate to a reaction chamber including one or more chamber
walls; orienting the at least one thermal radiation emitter to emit
thermal radiation through at least one chamber wall of the one or
more chamber walls and into an interior of the reaction chamber;
selecting the at least one thermal radiation emitter to comprise an
emitter configured to emit thermal radiation within a range of
wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation in at least one of the
infrared region and the visible region of the electromagnetic
radiation spectrum; selecting the at least one chamber wall of the
one or more chamber walls to comprise a transparent material at
least substantially transparent to electromagnetic radiation over
the range of wavelengths; positioning a sensor of at least one
metrology device outside and proximate to the reaction chamber;
orienting the sensor to receive an electromagnetic radiation signal
passing from an interior of the reaction chamber to an exterior of
the reaction chamber; selecting the sensor to comprise a sensor
configured to detect the electromagnetic radiation signal at one or
more wavelengths within the range of wavelengths; providing at
least one volume of opaque material at a location preventing at
least some thermal radiation to be emitted by the at least one
thermal radiation emitter from being detected by the sensor of the
at least one metrology device; and selecting the opaque material to
comprise a material opaque to wavelengths of electromagnetic
radiation within the range of wavelengths.
21. The method of claim 20, further comprising selecting at least
one chamber wall of the one or more chamber walls to comprise the
at least one volume of opaque material.
22. The method of claim 20, further comprising: positioning a body
within the interior of the reaction chamber; and selecting the body
to comprise the at least one volume of opaque material.
23. The method of claim 22, further comprising selecting the body
to comprise a generally planar plate-shaped structure.
24. The method of claim 20, further comprising selecting the one or
more chamber walls of the reaction chamber to include a top wall, a
bottom wall, and at least one side wall extending between the top
wall and the bottom wall.
25. The method of claim 24, further comprising positioning the at
least one thermal radiation emitter adjacent the bottom wall.
26. The method of claim 25, further comprising selecting the bottom
wall to comprise the transparent material.
27. The method of claim 26, further comprising selecting the bottom
wall to comprise transparent quartz.
28. The method of claim 27, further comprising selecting the top
wall to comprise the at least one volume of opaque material, and
wherein the opaque material comprises opaque quartz.
29. The method of claim 27, further comprising selecting the at
least one side wall to comprise the at least one volume of opaque
material, and wherein the opaque material comprises opaque
quartz.
30. The method of claim 24, further comprising positioning the
sensor of the at least one metrology device adjacent the top
wall.
31. The method of claim 30, further comprising selecting the top
wall to comprise the at least one volume of opaque material, and
wherein the opaque material comprises opaque quartz.
32. The method of claim 30, further comprising selecting the at
least one side wall to comprise the at least one volume of opaque
material, and wherein the opaque material comprises opaque
quartz.
33. The method of claim 24, further comprising: positioning the at
least one thermal radiation emitter outside the reaction chamber
adjacent the bottom wall; selecting the bottom wall to comprise the
transparent material; and positioning the sensor of the at least
one metrology device outside the reaction chamber adjacent the top
wall.
34. The method of claim 33, further comprising selecting at least
one of the top wall and the at least one side wall to comprise the
at least one volume of opaque material.
35. The method of claim 33, further comprising: positioning a body
within the interior of the reaction chamber; and selecting the body
to comprise the at least one volume of opaque material.
36. A method of depositing material on a workpiece substrate using
a deposition system, comprising: positioning at least one workpiece
substrate within an interior of a reaction chamber; emitting
thermal radiation into the interior of the reaction chamber from at
least one thermal radiation emitter outside the reaction chamber
through at least a portion of one or more chamber walls of the
reaction chamber comprising a transparent material transparent to
the thermal radiation; introducing at least one process gas into
the reaction chamber; heating at least one of the at least one
workpiece substrate and the at least one process gas using the
thermal radiation; depositing material on the at least one
workpiece substrate from the at least one process gas; sensing an
electromagnetic radiation signal representative of at least one
characteristic of the at least one workpiece substrate using a
sensor of at least one metrology device outside and proximate to
the reaction chamber, the electromagnetic radiation signal passing
from the interior of the reaction chamber to the sensor through one
or more chamber walls of the reaction chamber transparent to the
electromagnetic radiation signal; and shielding the sensor from at
least some of the thermal radiation using at least one volume of
opaque material.
37. The method of claim 36, wherein shielding the sensor from at
least some of the thermal radiation using at least one volume of
opaque material comprises shielding the sensor from at least some
of the thermal radiation using at least one chamber wall of the one
or more chamber walls, the at least one chamber wall comprising the
at least one volume of opaque material.
38. The method of claim 36, wherein shielding the sensor from at
least some of the thermal radiation using at least one volume of
opaque material comprises shielding the sensor from at least some
of the thermal radiation using at least one body positioned in the
interior of the reaction chamber, the at least one body comprising
the at least one volume of opaque material.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The subject matter of this application is related to the
subject matter of provisional U.S. patent application Ser. No.
61/526,137, which was filed Aug. 22, 2011 in the name of Bertram et
al. and entitled "DEPOSITION SYSTEMS HAVING ACCESS GATES AT
DESIRABLE LOCATIONS, AND RELATED METHODS," to the subject matter of
provisional U.S. patent application Ser. No. 61/526,143, which was
filed Aug. 22, 2011 in the name of Bertram et al. and entitled
"DEPOSITION SYSTEMS INCLUDING A PRECURSOR GAS FURNACE WITHIN A
REACTION CHAMBER, AND RELATED METHODS," and to the subject matter
of provisional U.S. patent application Ser. No. 61/526,148, which
was filed Aug. 22, 2011 in the name of Bertram and entitled "DIRECT
LIQUID INJECTION FOR HALIDE VAPOR PHASE EPITAXY SYSTEMS AND
METHODS," the entire disclosure of each of which application is
hereby incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference.
FIELD
[0002] Embodiments of the invention generally relate to systems for
depositing materials on substrates, and to methods of making and
using such systems. More particularly, embodiments of the invention
relate to vapor phase epitaxy (VPE) and chemical vapor deposition
(CVD) methods for depositing III-V semiconductor materials on
substrates and to methods of making and using such systems.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is a chemical process that
is used to deposit solid materials on substrates, and is commonly
employed in the manufacture of semiconductor devices. In chemical
vapor deposition processes, a substrate is exposed to one or more
reagent gases, which react, decompose, or both react and decompose
in a manner that results in the deposition of a solid material on
the surface of the substrate.
[0004] One particular type of CVD process is referred to in the art
as vapor phase epitaxy (VPE). In VPE processes, a substrate is
exposed to one or more reagent vapors in a reaction chamber, which
react, decompose, or both react and decompose in a manner that
results in the epitaxial deposition of a solid material on the
surface of the substrate. VPE processes are often used to deposit
III-V semiconductor materials. When one of the reagent vapors in a
VPE process comprises a hydride vapor, the process may be referred
to as a hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE) process.
[0005] HVPE processes are used to form III-V semiconductor
materials such as, for example, gallium nitride (GaN). In such
processes, epitaxial growth of GaN on a substrate results from a
vapor phase reaction between gallium chloride (GaCl) and ammonia
(NH.sub.3) that is carried out within a reaction chamber at
elevated temperatures between about 500.degree. C. and about
1,100.degree. C. The NH.sub.3 may be supplied from a standard
source of NH.sub.3 gas.
[0006] In some methods, the GaCl vapor is provided by passing
hydrogen chloride (HCl) gas (which may be supplied from a standard
source of HCl gas) over heated liquid gallium (Ga) to form GaCl in
situ within the reaction chamber. The liquid gallium may be heated
to a temperature of between about 750.degree. C. and about
850.degree. C. The GaCl and the NH.sub.3 may be directed to (e.g.,
over) a surface of a heated substrate, such as a wafer of
semiconductor material. U.S. Pat. No. 6,179,913, which issued Jan.
30, 2001 to Solomon et al., discloses a gas injection system for
use in such systems and methods, the entire disclosure of which
patent is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
[0007] In such systems, it may be necessary to open the reaction
chamber to atmosphere to replenish the source of liquid gallium.
Furthermore, it may not be possible to clean the reaction chamber
in situ in such systems.
[0008] To address such issues, methods and systems have been
developed that utilize an external source of a GaCl.sub.3
precursor, which is directly injected into the reaction chamber.
Examples of such methods and systems are disclosed in, for example,
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2009/0223442 A1, which
published Sep. 10, 2009 in the name of Arena et al., the entire
disclosure of which publication is incorporated herein by
reference.
BRIEF SUMMARY
[0009] This summary is provided to introduce a selection of
concepts in a simplified form, such concepts being further
described in the detailed description below of some example
embodiments of the invention. This summary is not intended to
identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject
matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the
claimed subject matter.
[0010] In some embodiments, the present disclosure includes
deposition systems. The deposition systems include a reaction
chamber having one or more chamber walls. At least one thermal
radiation emitter is configured to emit thermal radiation through
at least one chamber wall of the one or more chamber walls and into
an interior of the reaction chamber. The thermal radiation may
include wavelengths within a range of wavelengths in at least one
of the infrared region and the visible region of the
electromagnetic radiation spectrum. The at least one chamber wall
through which the thermal radiation is transmitted comprises a
transparent material that is at least substantially transparent to
electromagnetic radiation over the range of wavelengths. The
deposition systems further include at least one metrology device
including a sensor. The sensor is located outside the reaction
chamber and oriented and configured to receive an electromagnetic
radiation signal passing from an interior of the reaction chamber
to an exterior of the reaction chamber. The electromagnetic
radiation signal may comprise one or more wavelengths within the
range of wavelengths over which the thermal radiation is emitted.
At least one volume of opaque material is located to prevent at
least some thermal radiation to be emitted by the at least one
thermal radiation emitter from being detected by the sensor of the
at least one metrology device. The opaque material is opaque to
wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation within the range of
wavelengths over which the thermal radiation is emitted.
[0011] In additional embodiments, the present disclosure includes
methods of forming deposition systems. At least one thermal
radiation emitter may be positioned outside and proximate to a
reaction chamber including one or more chamber walls. The at least
one thermal radiation emitter may be oriented to emit thermal
radiation through at least one chamber wall of the one or more
chamber walls and into an interior of the reaction chamber. The at
least one thermal radiation emitter may comprise an emitter
configured to emit thermal radiation within a range of wavelengths
of electromagnetic radiation in at least one of the infrared region
and the visible region of the electromagnetic radiation spectrum.
The at least one chamber wall through which the thermal radiation
is emitted may be selected to comprise a transparent material that
is at least substantially transparent to electromagnetic radiation
over the range of wavelengths over which the thermal radiation is
emitted. A sensor of at least one metrology device may be
positioned outside and proximate to the reaction chamber. The
sensor may be oriented to receive an electromagnetic radiation
signal passing from an interior of the reaction chamber to an
exterior of the reaction chamber. The sensor may be selected to
comprise a sensor that is configured to detect the electromagnetic
radiation signal at one or more wavelengths within the range of
wavelengths over which the thermal radiation is emitted by the one
or more thermal radiation emitters. At least one volume of opaque
material is provided at a location preventing at least some thermal
radiation emitted by the at least one thermal radiation emitter
from being detected by the sensor of the at least one metrology
device. The opaque material may be selected to comprise a material
opaque to wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation within the range
of wavelengths over which the thermal radiation is emitted.
[0012] In yet further embodiments, the present disclosure includes
methods of depositing material on workpiece substrates using
deposition systems. At least one workpiece substrate may be
positioned within an interior of a reaction chamber. Thermal
radiation may be emitted into the interior of the reaction chamber
from at least one thermal radiation emitter located outside the
reaction chamber through at least a portion of one or more chamber
walls of the reaction chamber. The one or more chamber walls
through which the thermal radiation is emitted may comprise a
transparent material that is transparent to the thermal radiation.
At least one process gas may be introduced into the reaction
chamber. At least one of the workpiece substrate and the at least
one process gas may be heated by the thermal radiation. Material
may be deposited on the at least one workpiece substrate from the
at least one process gas. A sensor of at least one metrology device
may be used to sense an electromagnetic radiation signal
representative of at least one characteristic of the workpiece
substrate. The sensor may be located outside and proximate to the
reaction chamber. The electromagnetic radiation signal sensed by
the sensor may pass from the interior of the reaction chamber to
the sensor through one or more chamber walls of the reaction
chamber transparent to the electromagnetic radiation signal. The
sensor may be shielded from at least some of the thermal radiation
emitted by the thermal radiation emitter using at least one volume
of opaque material.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] The present disclosure may be understood more fully by
reference to the following detailed description of example
embodiments, which are illustrated in the appended figures in
which:
[0014] FIG. 1 is a cut-away perspective view schematically
illustrating an example embodiment of a deposition system including
a volume of opaque material used to shield a sensor of a metrology
device from thermal radiation emitted by a thermal radiation
emitter of the deposition system;
[0015] FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of the deposition
system shown in FIG. 1;
[0016] FIGS. 3A through 3B are simplified and schematically
illustrated graphs used to illustrate relationships between the
wavelengths of the thermal radiation emitted by the thermal
radiation emitters of the deposition system of FIGS. 1 and 2, and
the transmissivity of transparent material (FIG. 3B) and opaque
material (FIG. 3C), as a function of wavelength, of various
components of the deposition system of FIGS. 1 and 2.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
[0017] The illustrations presented herein are not meant to be
actual views of any particular system, component, or device, but
are merely idealized representations that are employed to describe
embodiments of the present invention.
[0018] As used herein, the term "III-V semiconductor material"
means and includes any semiconductor material that is at least
predominantly comprised of one or more elements from group IIIA of
the periodic table (B, Al, Ga, In, and Ti) and one or more elements
from group VA of the periodic table (N, P, As, Sb, and Bi). For
example, III-V semiconductor materials include, but are not limited
to, GaN, GaP, GaAs, InN, InP, InAs, AlN, AlP, AlAs, InGaN, InGaP,
InGaNP, etc.
[0019] As used herein, the term "gas" includes gases (fluids that
have neither independent shape nor volume) and vapors (gases that
include diffused liquid or solid matter suspended therein), and the
terms "gas" and "vapor" are used synonymously herein.
[0020] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a deposition system 100 in
accordance with the present disclosure. The deposition system 100
includes an at least substantially enclosed reaction chamber 102,
at least one thermal radiation emitter 104, a metrology device 106,
and a volume of opaque material (not illustrated in FIG. 1)
configured and located to shield a sensor 108 of the metrology
device 106 from at least some radiation emitted by the thermal
radiation emitter 104. These components of the deposition system
100 are discussed in further detail below. In some embodiments, the
deposition system 100 may comprise a CVD system, and may comprise a
VPE deposition system (e.g., an HVPE deposition system).
[0021] The reaction chamber 102 may include one or more chamber
walls. For example, the chamber walls may include a horizontally
oriented top wall 124, a horizontally oriented bottom wall 126, and
one or more vertically oriented lateral side walls 128 extending
between the top wall 124 and the bottom wall 126.
[0022] The deposition system 100 may further include a gas
injection device 130 used for injecting one or more process gases
into the reaction chamber 102, and a venting and loading
subassembly 132 used for venting process gases out from the
reaction chamber 102 and for loading substrates into the reaction
chamber 102 and unloading substrates out from the reaction chamber
102. The gas injection device 130 may be configured to inject one
or more process gases through one or more of the lateral side walls
128 of the reaction chamber 102.
[0023] In some embodiments, the reaction chamber 102 may have the
geometric shape of an elongated rectangular prism, as shown in FIG.
1. In some such embodiments, the gas injection device 132 may be
located at a first end of the reaction chamber 102, and the venting
and loading subassembly may be located at an opposing, second end
of the reaction chamber 102. In other embodiments, the reaction
chamber 102 may have another geometric shape.
[0024] The deposition system 100 includes a substrate support
structure 134 (e.g., a susceptor) configured to support one or more
workpiece substrates 136 on which it is desired to deposit or
otherwise provide semiconductor material within the deposition
system 100. For example, the one or more workpiece substrates 136
may comprise dies or wafers. As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate
support structure 134 may be coupled to a spindle 139, which may be
coupled (e.g., directly structurally coupled, magnetically coupled,
etc.) to a drive device (not shown), such as an electrical motor
that is configured to drive rotation of the spindle 139 and, hence,
the substrate support structure 134 within the reaction chamber
102.
[0025] The deposition system 100 further includes a gas flow system
used to flow process gases through the reaction chamber 102. For
example, the deposition system 100 may comprise at least one gas
injection device 130 for injecting one or more process gases into
the reaction chamber 102 at a first location 103A, and a vacuum
device 133 for drawing the one or more process gases through the
reaction chamber 102 from the first location 103A to a second
location 103B and for evacuating the one or more process gases out
from the reaction chamber 102 at the second location 103B. The gas
injection device 130 may comprise, for example, a gas injection
manifold including connectors configured to couple with conduits
carrying one or more process gases from process gas sources.
[0026] With continued reference to FIG. 1, the deposition system
100 may include five gas inflow conduits 140A-140E that carry gases
from respective process gas sources 142A-142E to the gas injection
device 130. Optionally, gas valves (141A-141E) may be used to
selectively control the flow of gas through the gas inflow conduits
140A-140E, respectively.
[0027] In some embodiments, at least one of the gas sources
142A-142E may comprise an external source of at least one of
GaCl.sub.3, InCl.sub.3, or AlCl.sub.3, as described in U.S. Patent
Application Publication No. US 2009/0223442 A1. GaCl.sub.3,
InCl.sub.3 and AlCl.sub.3 may exist in the form of a dimer such as,
for example, Ga.sub.2Cl.sub.6, In.sub.2Cl.sub.6 and
Al.sub.2Cl.sub.6, respectively. Thus, at least one of the gas
sources 142A-142F may comprise a dimer such as Ga.sub.2Cl.sub.6,
In.sub.2Cl.sub.6 or Al.sub.2Cl.sub.6.
[0028] In embodiments in which one or more of the gas sources
142A-142E is, or includes, a GaCl.sub.3 source, the GaCl.sub.3
source may include a reservoir of liquid GaCl.sub.3 maintained at a
temperature of at least 100.degree. C. (e.g., approximately
130.degree. C.), and may include physical means for enhancing the
evaporation rate of the liquid GaCl.sub.3. Such physical means may
include, for example, a device configured to agitate the liquid
GaCl.sub.3, a device configured to spray the liquid GaCl.sub.3, a
device configured to flow carrier gas rapidly over the liquid
GaCl.sub.3, a device configured to bubble carrier gas through the
liquid GaCl.sub.3, a device, such as a piezoelectric device,
configured to ultrasonically disperse the liquid GaCl.sub.3, and
the like. As a non-limiting example, a carrier gas, such as He,
N.sub.2, H.sub.2, or Ar, may be bubbled through the liquid
GaCl.sub.3, while the liquid GaCl.sub.3 is maintained at a
temperature of at least 100.degree. C., such that the source gas
may include one or more carrier gases in which precursor gas is
conveyed.
[0029] In some embodiments, the temperatures of the gas inflow
conduits 140A-140E may be controlled between the gas sources
142A-142E and the reaction chamber 102. The temperatures of the gas
inflow conduits 140A-140E and associated mass flow sensors,
controllers, and the like, may increase gradually from a first
temperature (e.g., about 100.degree. C. or more) at the exit from
the respective gas sources 142A-142E up to a second temperature
(e.g., about 150.degree. C. or less) at the point of entry into the
reaction chamber 102 in order to prevent condensation of the gases
(e.g., GaCl.sub.3 vapor) in the gas inflow conduits 140A-140E.
Optionally, the length of the gas inflow conduits 140A-140E between
the respective gas sources 142A-142E and the reaction chamber 102
may be about three feet or less, about two feet or less, or even
about one foot or less. The pressure of the source gases may be
controlled using one or more pressure control systems.
[0030] In additional embodiments, the deposition system 100 may
include less than five (e.g., one to four) gas inflow conduits and
respective gas sources, or the deposition system 100 may include
more than five (e.g., six, seven, etc.) gas inflow conduits and
respective gas sources.
[0031] The one or more of the gas inflow conduits 140A-140E extend
to the gas injection device 130. The gas injection device 130 may
comprise one or more blocks of material through which the process
gases are carried into the reaction chamber 102. One or more
cooling conduits 131 may extend through the blocks of material. A
cooling fluid may be caused to flow through the one or more cooling
conduits 131 so as to maintain the gas or gases flowing through the
gas injection device 130 by way of the gas inflow conduits
140A-140E within a desirable temperature range during operation of
the deposition system 100. For example, it may be desirable to
maintain the gas or gases flowing through the gas injection device
130 by way of the gas inflow conduits 140A-140E at a temperature
less than about 200.degree. C. (e.g., about 150.degree. C.) during
operation of the deposition system 100.
[0032] Optionally, the deposition system 100 may include an
interior precursor gas furnace 138, as described in provisional
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 61/526,143, which was filed Aug.
22, 2011 in the name of Bertram et al. and entitled "DEPOSITION
SYSTEMS INCLUDING A PRECURSOR GAS FURNACE WITHIN A REACTION
CHAMBER, AND RELATED METHODS," the disclosure of which is hereby
incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference.
[0033] With continued reference to FIG. 1, the venting and loading
subassembly 132 may comprise a vacuum chamber 194 into which gases
flowing through the reaction chamber 102 are drawn by a vacuum
within the vacuum chamber 194 and vented out from the reaction
chamber 102. The vacuum within the vacuum chamber 194 is generated
by the vacuum device 133. As shown in FIG. 1, the vacuum chamber
194 may be located below the reaction chamber 102.
[0034] The venting and loading subassembly 132 may further comprise
a purge gas curtain device 196 that is configured and oriented to
provide a generally planar curtain of flowing purge gas, which
flows out from the purge gas curtain device 196 and into the vacuum
chamber 194. The venting and loading subassembly 132 also may
include an access gate 188, which may be selectively opened for
loading and/or unloading workpiece substrates 136 from the
substrate support structure 134, and selectively closed for
processing of the workpiece substrates 136 using the deposition
system 100. In some embodiments, the access gate 188 may comprise
at least one plate configured to move between a closed first
position and an open second position. The access gate 188 may
extend through a side wall of the reaction chamber 102 in some
embodiments.
[0035] The reaction chamber 102 may be at least substantially
enclosed, and access to the substrate support structure 134 through
the access gate 188 may be precluded, when the plate of the access
gate 188 is in the closed first position. Access to the substrate
support structure 134 may be enabled through the access gate 188
when the plate of the access gate 188 is in the open, second
position.
[0036] The purge gas curtain emitted by the purge gas curtain
device 196 may reduce or prevent the flow of gases out from the
reaction chamber 102 during loading and/or unloading of workpiece
substrates 136.
[0037] Gaseous byproducts, carrier gases, and any excess precursor
gases may be exhausted out from the reaction chamber 102 through
the venting and loading subassembly 132.
[0038] The deposition system 100 may comprise a plurality of
thermal radiation emitters 104, as illustrated in FIG. 1. The
thermal radiation emitters 104 are configured to emit thermal
radiation within a range of wavelengths of electromagnetic
radiation in at least one of the infrared region and the visible
region of the electromagnetic radiation spectrum. For example, the
thermal radiation emitters 104 may comprise thermal lamps (not
shown) configured to emit thermal energy in the form of
electromagnetic radiation.
[0039] In some embodiments, the thermal radiation emitters 104 may
be located outside and below the reaction chamber 102 adjacent the
bottom wall 126. In additional embodiments, the thermal radiation
emitters 104 may be located above the reaction chamber 102 adjacent
the top wall 124, beside the reaction chamber 102 adjacent one or
more lateral side walls 128, or at a combination of such
locations.
[0040] The thermal radiation emitters 104 may be disposed in a
plurality of rows of thermal radiation emitters 104, which may be
controlled independently from one another. In other words, the
thermal energy emitted by each row of thermal radiation emitters
104 may be independently controllable. The rows may be oriented
transverse to the direction of the net flow of gas through the
reaction chamber 102, which is the direction extending from left to
right from the perspective of FIG. 1. Thus, the independently
controlled rows of thermal radiation emitters 104 may be used to
provide a selected thermal gradient across the interior of the
reaction chamber 102, if so desired.
[0041] The thermal radiation emitters 104 may be located outside
the reaction chamber 102 and configured to emit thermal radiation
through at least one chamber wall of the reaction chamber 102 and
into an interior of the reaction chamber 102. Thus, at least a
portion of the chamber walls through which the thermal radiation is
to pass into the reaction chamber 102 may comprise a transparent
material, so as to allow efficient transmission of the thermal
radiation into the interior of the reaction chamber 102. The
transparent material may be transparent in the sense that the
material may be at least substantially transparent to
electromagnetic radiation at wavelengths corresponding to the
thermal radiation emitted by the thermal radiation emitters 104.
For example, at least about 80%, at least about 90%, or even at
least about 95% of at least a range of the wavelengths of the
thermal radiation emitted by the thermal radiation emitters 104
impinging on the transparent material may pass through the
transparent material and into the interior of the reaction chamber
102.
[0042] As a non-limiting example, the transparent material may
comprise a transparent refractory ceramic material, such as
transparent quartz (i.e., silicon dioxide (SiO.sub.2)). The
transparent quartz may be fused quartz, and may have an amorphous
microstructure. Any other refractory material that is both
physically and chemically stable at the temperatures and in the
environments to which the material is subjected during deposition
processes using the deposition system 100, and that is sufficiently
transparent to the thermal radiation emitted by the thermal
radiation emitters 104, may be used to form one or more of the
chamber walls of the deposition system 100 in further embodiments
of the disclosure.
[0043] As shown in FIG. 1, in some embodiments, the thermal
radiation emitters 104 may be disposed outside and below the
reaction chamber 102 adjacent the bottom wall 126 of the reaction
chamber 102. In such embodiments, the bottom wall 126 may comprise
a transparent material, such as transparent quartz, so as to allow
transmission of the thermal radiation emitted by the thermal
radiation emitters 104 into the interior of the reaction chamber
102 as described above. Of course, thermal radiation emitters 104
may be provided adjacent other chamber walls of the reaction
chamber 102 and at least a portion of such chamber walls also may
comprise a transparent material as described herein.
[0044] As previously mentioned, the deposition system 100 may
comprise one or more metrology devices 106 for detecting and/or
measuring one or more characteristics of a workpiece substrate 136,
or a material deposited on the workpiece substrate 136, in situ
within the interior of the reaction chamber 102. The one or more
metrology devices 106 may include, for example, one or more of a
reflectometer, a deflectometer, and a pyrometer. Reflectometers are
often used in the art to measure, for example, a growth rate and/or
a topography of material being deposited on the workpiece substrate
136 in the reaction chamber 102. Deflectometers are often used in
the art to measure planarity or non-planarity (e.g., bow) of the
workpiece substrate 136 (and/or a material being deposited
thereon). Pyrometers are often used in the art to measure a
temperature of the workpiece substrate 136 within the reaction
chamber 102. Such metrology devices 106 include one or more sensors
108 for detecting and/or measuring electromagnetic radiation at one
or more predetermined wavelengths to effect their respective
measurements. In some such metrology devices 106, the
electromagnetic radiation to be received and detected may also be
emitted by the metrology device 106. In other words, the metrology
device 106 may emit electromagnetic radiation toward the workpiece
substrate 136, and then detect the emitted electromagnetic
radiation after it has been reflected, deflected, or otherwise
affected by the workpiece substrate 136.
[0045] The one or more metrology devices 106 and associated sensors
108 may be located outside the reaction chamber 102. The sensors
108 may be oriented and configured to receive an electromagnetic
radiation signal passing from an interior of the reaction chamber
102 to an exterior of the reaction chamber 102. For example, as
shown in FIG. 1, the one or more metrology devices 106 and
associated sensors 108 may be located over the reaction chamber 102
adjacent the top wall 124. In such configurations, the sensors 108
may be oriented and configured to receive an electromagnetic
radiation signal passing through the top wall 124 from the interior
of the reaction chamber 102 to the exterior of the reaction chamber
102. Thus, at least the portion of the chamber wall (e.g., the top
wall 124) through which the electromagnetic radiation signal passes
to reach the sensors 108 may be at least substantially transparent
to the wavelength or wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation
corresponding to the electromagnetic radiation signal to be
received by the sensors 108. At least the portion of the chamber
wall through which the electromagnetic radiation signal passes to
reach the sensors 108 may comprise a transparent material as
previously described herein, such as transparent quartz.
[0046] The wavelength or wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation
corresponding to the electromagnetic radiation signal to be
received by the sensors 108 may be within at least one of the
infrared region and the visible region of the electromagnetic
radiation spectrum, and may be within the range of wavelengths of
electromagnetic radiation corresponding to the thermal radiation
emitted by the thermal radiation emitters 104. As a result, stray
electromagnetic radiation emitted by the thermal radiation emitters
104 may be received and detected by the sensors 108 of the one or
more metrology devices 106, which may result in noise in the
detected electromagnetic radiation signal, which can adversely
affect the ability to obtain accurate measurements using the one or
more metrology devices 106. Further, in some situations, the
chamber walls of the reaction chamber 102 may serve to reflect and
guide the thermal radiation emitted by the thermal radiation
emitters 104 toward the sensors 108 of the one or more metrology
devices 106.
[0047] Thus, in accordance with embodiments of the present
disclosure, the deposition system 100 may further include one or
more volumes of opaque material selectively located to prevent at
least some of the thermal radiation emitted by the thermal
radiation emitters 104 from being detected by the sensor 108 of the
one or more metrology devices 106. The opaque material may be
opaque to wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation within a range
of wavelengths corresponding to the wavelengths of the thermal
radiation emitted by the thermal radiation emitters 104. In other
words, the opaque material may be opaque to at least a portion of
the thermal radiation emitted by the thermal radiation emitters
104. For example, about 25% or less, about 15% or less, or even
about 5% or less of at least a range of the wavelengths of the
thermal radiation emitted by the thermal radiation emitters 104
impinging on a one millimeter thick sample of the opaque material
may pass through the sample of opaque material.
[0048] As a non-limiting example, the opaque material may comprise
an opaque refractory ceramic material, such as opaque quartz (i.e.,
silicon dioxide (SiO.sub.2)). The opaque quartz may be fused
quartz, and may have an amorphous microstructure. In some
embodiments, the quartz may include microvoids (i.e., bubbles) or
other inclusions that render the quartz opaque. Any other
refractory material that is both physically and chemically stable
at the temperatures and in the environments to which the material
is subjected during deposition processes using the deposition
system 100, and that is sufficiently opaque to the thermal
radiation emitted by the thermal radiation emitters 104, may be
used as the opaque material in accordance with embodiments of the
disclosure.
[0049] As shown in FIG. 1, in some embodiments, one or more opaque
bodies 148 each comprising a volume of such an opaque material may
be positioned within the interior of the reaction chamber 102. The
one or more opaque bodies 148 may comprise generally planar
plate-shaped structures in some embodiments. In such embodiments,
the generally planar plate-shaped structures may be horizontally
oriented such that they extend generally parallel to the top wall
124 and the bottom wall 126, as shown in FIG. 1. The one or more
opaque bodies 148 may be disposed between the top wall 124 and the
bottom wall 126, and may be located and oriented to shield the
sensor or sensors 108 from at least some of the thermal radiation
emitted by the thermal radiation emitters 104. For example, a
generally planar plate-shaped opaque body 148 may be located over
the interior precursor gas furnace 148 proximate to the gas
injection device 130, and additional generally planar plate-shaped
opaque bodies 138 may be located proximate to the venting and
loading subassembly 132, as shown in FIG. 1.
[0050] Further, at least a portion of one or more of the chamber
walls may comprise a volume of opaque material. For example, FIG. 2
is a simplified perspective view of the deposition system 100 shown
in FIG. 1. Opaque material is shaded with stippling in FIG. 2 to
facilitate illustration of opaque regions of chamber walls.
[0051] As shown in FIG. 2, and with continued reference to FIG. 1,
at least a portion of one or more of the lateral side walls 128 may
comprise an opaque material. Such lateral side walls 128 may
include the lateral side walls 128 that extend longitudinally along
the reaction chamber 102 between the gas injection device 130 and
the venting and loading subassembly 132. In the embodiment
illustrated in FIG. 2, the lateral side walls 128 that extend
longitudinally along the reaction chamber 102 are entirely formed
of opaque material. In additional embodiments, only a portion of
the lateral side walls 128 may comprise opaque material.
[0052] As previously mentioned, the sensors 108 of the one or more
metrology devices 106 may be disposed outside the reaction chamber
102 adjacent a chamber wall of the reaction chamber 102. The
chamber wall adjacent the sensors 108 may comprise one or more
transparent portions, which may define windows through which an
electromagnetic radiation signal may pass before impinging on a
sensor 108, as well as one or more opaque portions shielding the
sensor 108 from stray electromagnetic radiation emitted by the
thermal radiation emitters 104. For example, in the embodiment of
FIG. 2, the sensors 108 of the one or more metrology devices 106
(FIG. 1) are disposed adjacent the top wall 124. The top wall 124
includes a volume 150 of opaque material, and transparent windows
152 extending through the volume 150 of opaque material. Thus, an
electromagnetic radiation signal may pass through the transparent
windows 152 and impinge on the sensors 108, and the volume 150 of
opaque material may shield the sensors 108 from electromagnetic
radiation emitted by the thermal radiation emitters 104 (FIG.
1).
[0053] The volumes of opaque material of the chamber walls may be
integral portions of the chamber walls, or they may comprise, for
example, plates or other bodies of opaque material that are simply
disposed adjacent, and optionally bonded to, the respective chamber
walls. As a non-limiting example, the volume 150 of opaque material
of the top wall 124 may comprise a generally planar plate-shaped
structure formed of opaque material having apertures extending
therethrough defining the windows 152. The plate-shaped opaque
structure may be disposed on, and optionally bonded to, another
generally planar plate-shaped transparent structure formed of
transparent material, which forms a remaining portion of the top
wall 124.
[0054] FIGS. 3A through 3C are graphs used to further describe
embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 3A is a simplified and
schematically illustrated graph showing an example of an emission
spectrum for the thermal radiation that may be emitted by the
thermal radiation emitters 104 (FIG. 1). In other words, FIG. 3A is
a graph of the intensity of the emitted thermal radiation as a
function of wavelength of the emitted thermal radiation. The
wavelengths represented in FIG. 3A (as well as FIGS. 3B and 3C)
extend from the visible region (e.g., from about 380 nm to about
760 nm) and into the infrared region (e.g., from about 750 nm to
about 1.0 mm) of the electromagnetic radiation spectrum. FIG. 3B is
a graph of the percentage of electromagnetic radiation that is
transmitted through a one millimeter thick sample of the
transparent material of one or more of the chamber walls, as
previously described herein, as a function of wavelength over the
same range of wavelengths represented in FIG. 3A. Similarly, FIG.
3C is a graph of the percentage of electromagnetic radiation that
is transmitted through a one millimeter thick sample of an opaque
material, as previously described herein, as a function of
wavelength over the same range of wavelengths represented in FIGS.
3A and 3B.
[0055] Referring to FIG. 3A, in accordance with embodiments of the
present disclosure, a range of wavelengths may be defined, such as
a range extending from a first wavelength .lamda..sub.1 to a second
wavelength .lamda..sub.2, within which the thermal radiation
emitters 104 (FIG. 1) may be configured to emit thermal radiation.
The thermal radiation emitters 104 may also emit thermal radiation
at wavelengths outside the range of wavelengths between the first
wavelength .lamda..sub.1 and the second wavelength .lamda..sub.2,
but the thermal radiation is emitted over wavelengths that include
the wavelengths between the first wavelength .lamda..sub.1 and the
second wavelength .lamda..sub.2. The sensor 108 of the one or more
metrology devices 106 (FIG. 1) may be oriented and configured to
receive an electromagnetic radiation signal at one or more
predetermined signal wavelengths, such as the signal wavelength
.lamda..sub.S shown in FIG. 3A, that is within the range of
wavelengths extending between the first wavelength .lamda..sub.1
and the second wavelength .lamda..sub.2.
[0056] As previously mentioned, the thermal radiation emitters 104
(FIG. 1) may be configured to emit the thermal radiation through at
least one chamber wall and into an interior region of the reaction
chamber 102. The at least one chamber wall through which the
thermal radiation is transmitted may comprise a transparent
material that is at least substantially transparent to
electromagnetic radiation to at least the wavelengths of radiation
in the range extending from the first wavelength .lamda..sub.1 to
the second wavelength .lamda..sub.2. For example, FIG. 3B
illustrates how a graph of the percentage of electromagnetic
radiation that is transmitted through a one millimeter thick sample
of the transparent material of the one or more chamber walls
through which the thermal radiation is transmitted, as a function
of wavelength. As shown in FIG. 3B, the average transmittance of
the transparent material may be at least about 80% over the range
of the wavelengths extending from the first wavelength
.lamda..sub.1 to the second wavelength .lamda..sub.2. In additional
embodiments, an average transmittance of the transparent material
may be at least about 90%, or even at least about 95%, over the
range of the wavelengths extending from the first wavelength
.lamda..sub.1 to the second wavelength .lamda..sub.2.
[0057] Additionally, as previously mentioned, the at least one
volume of opaque material of the deposition system 100 that is used
to shield the sensor or sensors 108 of the one or more metrology
devices 106 from at least a portion of the thermal radiation
emitted by the thermal radiation emitters 104 (FIG. 1) may be
opaque to wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation within the range
of wavelengths extending from the first wavelength .lamda..sub.1 to
the second wavelength .lamda..sub.2. For example, FIG. 3C
illustrates how a graph of the percentage of electromagnetic
radiation that is transmitted through a one millimeter thick sample
of the opaque material of the one or more chamber walls through
which the thermal radiation is transmitted, as a function of
wavelength. As shown in FIG. 3C, the average transmittance of the
opaque material may be about 25% or less over the range of the
wavelengths extending from the first wavelength .lamda..sub.1 to
the second wavelength .lamda..sub.2. In additional embodiments, the
average transmittance of the opaque material may be about 15% or
less, or even about 5% or less, over the range of the wavelengths
extending from the first wavelength .lamda..sub.1 to the second
wavelength .lamda..sub.2.
[0058] In some embodiments, the above-described conditions may be
met when the first wavelength .lamda..sub.1 and the second
wavelength .lamda..sub.2 are defined such that the area under the
emission spectrum curve for the thermal radiation emitted by the
thermal radiation emitters 104 (such as that shown in FIG. 3A)
encompasses at least about 50%, at least about 60%, or even at
least about 70% of the total area under the section of the emission
spectrum curve within the visible and infrared regions of the
electromagnetic radiation spectrum (i.e., from 380 nm to 1.0
mm).
[0059] Additional embodiments of the present disclosure include
methods of making and using deposition systems as described
herein.
[0060] For example, referring again to FIGS. 1 and 2, a deposition
system 100 may be formed by positioning one or more thermal
radiation emitters 104 outside and proximate to a reaction chamber
102 including one or more chamber walls. The thermal radiation
emitters 104 may be oriented to emit thermal radiation through at
least one chamber wall and into an interior of the reaction chamber
102. The thermal radiation emitters 104 may be selected to comprise
an emitter configured to emit thermal radiation within a range of
wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation in at least one of the
infrared region and the visible region of the electromagnetic
radiation spectrum. The range of wavelengths may extend from a
first wavelength .lamda..sub.1 to a second wavelength
.lamda..sub.2, as described above with reference to FIGS. 3A
through 3C.
[0061] At least one of the chamber walls may be selected to
comprise a transparent material that is at least substantially
transparent to electromagnetic radiation over the range of
wavelengths, as described above with reference to FIG. 3B.
[0062] A sensor 108 of at least one metrology device 106 may be
positioned outside and proximate to the reaction chamber 102, and
the sensor 108 may be oriented to receive an electromagnetic
radiation signal passing from an interior of the reaction chamber
102 to an exterior of the reaction chamber 102. Further, the sensor
108 may be selected such that the sensor 108 is configured to
detect the electromagnetic radiation signal at one or more
wavelengths within the range of wavelengths, such as the signal
wavelength .lamda..sub.S described herein with reference to FIGS.
3A through 3C.
[0063] At least one volume of opaque material may be provided at a
location preventing at least some thermal radiation to be emitted
by the one or more thermal radiation emitters 104 from being
detected by the sensor 108 of the one or more metrology devices
106. The opaque material may be selected to comprise a material
opaque to wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation within the range
of wavelengths extending from the first wavelength .lamda..sub.1 to
the second wavelength .lamda..sub.2, as previously described with
reference to FIG. 3C. In some embodiments, one or more of the
chamber walls may be selected to comprise the at least one volume
of opaque material. In addition or as an alternative, an opaque
body may be selected that comprises the opaque material, and the
opaque body may be positioned within the interior of the reaction
chamber 102. The body may be selected to comprise a generally
planar plate-shaped structure.
[0064] Optionally, the reaction chamber 102 may comprise a top wall
124, a bottom wall 126, and at least one lateral side wall 128
extending between the top wall 124 and the bottom wall 126. In such
embodiments, the one or more thermal radiation emitters 104,
optionally, may be positioned outside and below the reaction
chamber 102 adjacent the bottom wall 126 in some embodiments, and
the sensor 108 of the one or more metrology devices 106 may be
positioned outside and above the reaction chamber 102 adjacent the
top wall 124. In such embodiments, the bottom wall 126 may be
selected to comprise the transparent material. Further, at least
one of the top wall 124 and the at least one lateral side wall 128
may be selected to comprise the at least one volume of opaque
material. In addition or as an alternative, an opaque body 148 may
be selected and positioned within the interior of the reaction
chamber 102 as previously discussed with reference to FIG. 1.
[0065] As non-limiting examples, the transparent material may
comprise a transparent quartz material, and the opaque material may
comprise an opaque quartz material, as previously discussed.
[0066] Methods of using deposition systems 100 may be performed in
accordance with further embodiments of the present disclosure. At
least one workpiece substrate 136 may be positioned within an
interior of a reaction chamber 102. Thermal radiation may be
emitted into the interior of the reaction chamber 102 from at least
one thermal radiation emitter 104 outside the reaction chamber 102
through one or more chamber walls of the reaction chamber 102
comprising a transparent material that is transparent to the
thermal radiation. At least one precursor gas may be introduced
into the reaction chamber 102, and at least one of the workpiece
substrate 136 and the at least one precursor gas may be heated
using the thermal radiation. Material may be deposited on the
workpiece substrate 136 within the reaction chamber 102 from the at
least one precursor gas. A sensor 108 of at least one metrology
device 106 may be used to sense an electromagnetic radiation signal
that represents at least one characteristic of the workpiece
substrate 136 (such as, for example, a characteristic of the
material being deposited on the workpiece substrate 136). The
sensor 108 may be positioned outside and proximate to the reaction
chamber 102. The electromagnetic radiation signal that is sensed by
the sensor 108 may pass from the interior of the reaction chamber
102 to the sensor 108 through at least a portion of one or more
chamber walls of the reaction chamber 102 that is transparent to
the electromagnetic radiation signal. The sensor 108 may be
shielded from at least some of the thermal radiation emitted by the
at least one thermal radiation emitter 104 using at least one
volume of opaque material, as previously described herein. For
example, the sensor 108 may be shielded from at least some of the
thermal radiation using at least one chamber wall of the reaction
chamber 102 comprising at least one volume of opaque material. In
addition or as an alternative, the sensor 108 may be shielded from
at least some of the thermal radiation using at least one opaque
body 148 positioned in the interior of the reaction chamber 102, as
previously described.
[0067] Additional non-limiting example embodiments of the
disclosure are set forth below.
Embodiment 1
[0068] A deposition system, comprising: a reaction chamber
including one or more chamber walls; at least one thermal radiation
emitter configured to emit thermal radiation within a range of
wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation in at least one of the
infrared region and the visible region of the electromagnetic
radiation spectrum through at least one chamber wall of the one or
more chamber walls and into an interior of the reaction chamber,
the at least one chamber wall comprising a transparent material at
least substantially transparent to electromagnetic radiation over
the range of wavelengths; at least one metrology device including a
sensor located outside the reaction chamber and oriented and
configured to receive an electromagnetic radiation signal at one or
more wavelengths within the range of wavelengths passing from an
interior of the reaction chamber to an exterior of the reaction
chamber; and at least one volume of opaque material, the opaque
material being opaque to wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation
within the range of wavelengths, the at least one volume of the
opaque material located to prevent at least some thermal radiation
to be emitted by the at least one thermal radiation emitter from
being detected by the sensor of the at least one metrology
device.
Embodiment 2
[0069] The deposition system of Embodiment 1, wherein the at least
one volume of opaque material comprises at least a portion of a
chamber wall of the one or more chamber walls.
Embodiment 3
[0070] The deposition system of Embodiment 1, further comprising a
body positioned within the interior of the reaction chamber, the
body comprising the at least one volume of opaque material.
Embodiment 4
[0071] The deposition system of Embodiment 3, wherein the body
positioned within the interior of the reaction chamber comprises a
generally planar plate-shaped structure.
Embodiment 5
[0072] The deposition system of any one of Embodiments 1 through 3,
wherein the one or more chamber walls of the reaction chamber
include a top wall, a bottom wall, and at least one side wall
extending between the top wall and the bottom wall.
Embodiment 6
[0073] The deposition system of Embodiment 5, wherein the at least
one thermal radiation emitter is disposed adjacent the bottom
wall.
Embodiment 7
[0074] The deposition system of Embodiment 5 or Embodiment 6,
wherein the bottom wall comprises the transparent material.
Embodiment 8
[0075] The deposition system of Embodiment 7, wherein the bottom
wall comprises transparent quartz.
Embodiment 9
[0076] The deposition system of any one of Embodiments 5 through 8,
wherein at least a portion of the top wall comprises a volume of
opaque material, such as opaque quartz.
Embodiment 10
[0077] The deposition system of any one of Embodiments 5 through 9,
wherein at least a portion of the at least one side wall comprises
a volume of opaque material, such as opaque quartz.
Embodiment 11
[0078] The deposition system of any one of Embodiments 5 through
10, wherein the sensor of the at least one metrology device is
disposed adjacent the top wall.
Embodiment 12
[0079] The deposition system of any one of Embodiments 5 through
11, wherein the at least one thermal radiation emitter is disposed
outside the reaction chamber adjacent the bottom wall, at least a
portion of the bottom wall comprises the transparent material, and
the sensor of the at least one metrology device is disposed outside
the reaction chamber adjacent the top wall.
Embodiment 13
[0080] The deposition system of Embodiment 12, wherein at least one
of the top wall and the at least one side wall comprises the at
least one volume of opaque material.
Embodiment 14
[0081] The deposition system of Embodiment 13, further comprising
another volume of opaque material disposed within the interior of
the reaction chamber between the top wall and the bottom wall.
Embodiment 15
[0082] The deposition system of Embodiment 12, wherein the at least
one volume of opaque material is disposed within the interior of
the reaction chamber between the top wall and the bottom wall.
Embodiment 16
[0083] The deposition system of any one of Embodiments 1 through
15, wherein the at least one thermal radiation emitter comprises a
plurality of lamps.
Embodiment 17
[0084] The deposition system of Embodiment 1, wherein the
transparent material comprises transparent quartz.
Embodiment 18
[0085] The deposition system of any one of Embodiments 1 through
17, wherein the opaque material comprises opaque quartz.
Embodiment 19
[0086] A method of forming a deposition system, comprising:
positioning at least one thermal radiation emitter outside and
proximate to a reaction chamber including one or more chamber
walls; orienting the at least one thermal radiation emitter to emit
thermal radiation through at least one chamber wall of the one or
more chamber walls and into an interior of the reaction chamber;
selecting the at least one thermal radiation emitter to comprise an
emitter configured to emit thermal radiation within a range of
wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation in at least one of the
infrared region and the visible region of the electromagnetic
radiation spectrum; selecting the at least one chamber wall to
comprise a transparent material at least substantially transparent
to electromagnetic radiation over the range of wavelengths;
positioning a sensor of at least one metrology device outside and
proximate to the reaction chamber; orienting the sensor to receive
an electromagnetic radiation signal passing from an interior of the
reaction chamber to an exterior of the reaction chamber; selecting
the sensor to comprise a sensor configured to detect the
electromagnetic radiation signal at one or more wavelengths within
the range of wavelengths; providing at least one volume of opaque
material at a location preventing at least some thermal radiation
to be emitted by the at least one thermal radiation emitter from
being detected by the sensor of the at least one metrology device;
and selecting the opaque material to comprise a material opaque to
wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation within the range of
wavelengths.
Embodiment 20
[0087] The method of Embodiment 19, further comprising selecting at
least one chamber wall of the one or more chamber walls to comprise
the at least one volume of opaque material.
Embodiment 21
[0088] The method of Embodiment 20, further comprising: positioning
a body within the interior of the reaction chamber; and selecting
the body to comprise another volume of opaque material.
Embodiment 22
[0089] The method of Embodiment 19, further comprising: positioning
a body within the interior of the reaction chamber; and selecting
the body to comprise the at least one volume of opaque
material.
Embodiment 23
[0090] The method of Embodiment 22, further comprising selecting
the body to comprise a generally planar plate-shaped structure.
Embodiment 24
[0091] The method of any one of Embodiments 19 through 23, further
comprising selecting the one or more chamber walls of the reaction
chamber to include a top wall, a bottom wall, and at least one side
wall extending between the top wall and the bottom wall.
Embodiment 25
[0092] The method of Embodiment 24, further comprising positioning
the at least one thermal radiation emitter adjacent the bottom
wall.
Embodiment 26
[0093] The method of Embodiment 24 or Embodiment 25, further
comprising selecting the bottom wall to comprise the transparent
material.
Embodiment 27
[0094] The method of any one of Embodiments 24 through 26, further
comprising selecting the bottom wall to comprise transparent
quartz.
Embodiment 28
[0095] The method of any one of Embodiments 24 through 27, further
comprising selecting the top wall to comprise the at least one
volume of opaque material.
Embodiment 29
[0096] The method of any one of Embodiments 24 through 28, further
comprising selecting the at least one side wall to comprise the at
least one volume of opaque material.
Embodiment 30
[0097] The method of any one of Embodiments 24 through 29, further
comprising positioning the sensor of the at least one metrology
device adjacent the top wall.
Embodiment 31
[0098] The method of Embodiment 30, further comprising selecting
the top wall to include at least a portion comprising the
transparent material.
Embodiment 32
[0099] The method of any one of Embodiments 24 through 31, further
comprising: positioning the at least one thermal radiation emitter
outside the reaction chamber adjacent the bottom wall; selecting
the bottom wall to comprise the transparent material; and
positioning the sensor of the at least one metrology device outside
the reaction chamber adjacent the top wall.
Embodiment 33
[0100] The method of Embodiment 32, further comprising selecting at
least one of the top wall and the at least one side wall to
comprise the at least one volume of opaque material.
Embodiment 34
[0101] The method of Embodiment 32 or Embodiment 33, further
comprising: positioning a body within the interior of the reaction
chamber; and selecting the body to comprise the at least one volume
of opaque material.
Embodiment 35
[0102] A method of depositing material on a workpiece substrate
using a deposition system, comprising: positioning at least one
workpiece substrate within an interior of a reaction chamber;
emitting thermal radiation into the interior of the reaction
chamber from at least one thermal radiation emitter outside the
reaction chamber through at least a portion of one or more chamber
walls of the reaction chamber comprising a transparent material
transparent to the thermal radiation; introducing at least one
process gas into the reaction chamber; heating at least one of the
workpiece substrate and the at least one process gas using the
thermal radiation; depositing material on the at least one
workpiece substrate from the at least one process gas; sensing an
electromagnetic radiation signal representative of at least one
characteristic of the at least one workpiece substrate using a
sensor of at least one metrology device outside and proximate to
the reaction chamber, the electromagnetic radiation signal passing
from the interior of the reaction chamber to the sensor through one
or more chamber walls of the reaction chamber transparent to the
electromagnetic radiation signal; and shielding the sensor from at
least some of the thermal radiation using at least one volume of
opaque material.
Embodiment 36
[0103] The method of Embodiment 35, wherein shielding the sensor
from at least some of the thermal radiation using at least one
volume of opaque material comprises shielding the sensor from at
least some of the thermal radiation using at least one chamber wall
of the one or more chamber walls, the at least one chamber wall
comprising the at least one volume of opaque material.
Embodiment 37
[0104] The method of Embodiment 35 or Embodiment 36, wherein
shielding the sensor from at least some of the thermal radiation
using at least one volume of opaque material comprises shielding
the sensor from at least some of the thermal radiation using at
least one body positioned in the interior of the reaction chamber,
the at least one body comprising the at least one volume of opaque
material.
[0105] The embodiments of the invention described above do not
limit the scope of the invention, since these embodiments are
merely examples of embodiments of the invention, which is defined
by the scope of the appended claims and their legal equivalents.
Any equivalent embodiments are intended to be within the scope of
this invention. Indeed, various modifications of the invention, in
addition to those shown and described herein, such as alternate
useful combinations of the elements described, will become apparent
to those skilled in the art from the description. Such
modifications are also intended to fall within the scope of the
appended claims.
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